Siliguri district BJP president Rathindra Bose today came down heavily on north Bengal development minister Gautam Deb on the demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland.
Addressing media persons here, Mr Bose claimed that the Trinamul Congress-led state government had itself made way for the Gorkhaland demand when it signed a tripartite agreement for the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).
“The ruling party will be held responsible for (people in the Hills) demanding a separate state of Gorkhaland,” he said.
Mr Deb has alleged that the BJP was trying to divide Bengal, as the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) has claimed that home minister Rajnath Singh has agreed to constitute a committee to examine the long-pending demands of the Darjeeling people. Addressing media persons yesterday, Mr Deb demanded that the BJP clear the air around the Gorkhaland issue.
Mr Bose today claimed: “The first tripartite agreement was signed to set up the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) during the Left regime, following agitation by the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) in Darjeeling Hills. That time, the agreement was signed after ‘dropping the demand for Gorkhaland’ and this was mentioned in the agreement. But the Trinamul Congress government signed the GTA tripartite agreement by ‘keeping on record the demand for Gorkhaland,’ thus officially paving the way for people in the Hills to demand Gorkhaland. ”
“The BJP’s stand is clear, and the party is still against division of Bengal. In my party’s manifesto, it was clearly mentioned that the party would ‘sympathetically consider the long-standing demands’ of the Hill people. We also mentioned the same for several other ethnic groups living in north Bengal and the northeast and recognition of their languages,” Mr Bose said.
He added that the Central government has agreed to constitute a committee to examine the demands of the Darjeeling people.
“It does not mean that the BJP is dividing Bengal,” he said.(sns)
Addressing media persons here, Mr Bose claimed that the Trinamul Congress-led state government had itself made way for the Gorkhaland demand when it signed a tripartite agreement for the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).
“The ruling party will be held responsible for (people in the Hills) demanding a separate state of Gorkhaland,” he said.
Mr Deb has alleged that the BJP was trying to divide Bengal, as the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) has claimed that home minister Rajnath Singh has agreed to constitute a committee to examine the long-pending demands of the Darjeeling people. Addressing media persons yesterday, Mr Deb demanded that the BJP clear the air around the Gorkhaland issue.
Mr Bose today claimed: “The first tripartite agreement was signed to set up the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) during the Left regime, following agitation by the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) in Darjeeling Hills. That time, the agreement was signed after ‘dropping the demand for Gorkhaland’ and this was mentioned in the agreement. But the Trinamul Congress government signed the GTA tripartite agreement by ‘keeping on record the demand for Gorkhaland,’ thus officially paving the way for people in the Hills to demand Gorkhaland. ”
“The BJP’s stand is clear, and the party is still against division of Bengal. In my party’s manifesto, it was clearly mentioned that the party would ‘sympathetically consider the long-standing demands’ of the Hill people. We also mentioned the same for several other ethnic groups living in north Bengal and the northeast and recognition of their languages,” Mr Bose said.
He added that the Central government has agreed to constitute a committee to examine the demands of the Darjeeling people.
“It does not mean that the BJP is dividing Bengal,” he said.(sns)
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